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 To Liverpool, England

On the day of our departure, we had our barracks bags all piled in a heap each with the owners name sewed on the side. Our packs were ready to throw on our backs. Being ready for the final word to march and aboard the train it finally came. Our colonel came and gave us our final camp inspection and asked each of us if we were ready to go. Of course we all answered in the affirmative. It would have been too bad if, after 9 months training for many of us, we were not ready to go. If we were willing was an entirely different question. However we were all willing and ready.

We march in squad formation to the trains and there we found seats marked for each member of our company. I was in the Headquarters Company. The Sergeants

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were to have a seat to himself and the remainder were to fill the seats as full as possible. Of course the officers had their private car.

Our train was a disappointment to us. For several days we had watched the troop trains leave the track and all had sleeping coaches for the men, but to our chagrin and disappointment we had nothing but day coaches—and three days journey! We thot we had been neglected and surely there must have been a mistake, but later in our army experience we decided that we were treated like Dukes on our Journey from camp to New York City.

As the train pulled [manuscript ends]